2018 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 16: Start, Stash and Stream

Welcome back to Start, Stash and Stream where we provide an in depth look into the waiver wire landscape each week. If you are still reading these, you have likely found yourself in the Fantasy Football Finals. Congratulations! Even Santa Claus could not provide you a better gift than that of fantasy dominance and one-upsmanship that you will have over all your friends for the next year. And given that this is the last week of the season (for most of you), FAAB becomes almost irrelevant as you should spare no dollar in getting who you want. Overbid, and be aggressive. Also you will note the “Stash” section is not apart of this article this week, and that is because we are not stashing anyone anymore. You are either fantasy relevant or completely and utterly irrelevant. Good luck, and godspeed my furry little fantasy football friends.

With Aaron Jones suffering an MCL sprain Week 15, Jamaal Williams seamlessly stepped into his place, totaling 97 yards on just 16 touches, adding in a score. The Packers lead RB position has always been fantasy gold, and Williams will likely take the lead dog role the remaining two weeks this season. He is in an RB1 situation, and you should spend every last FAAB dollar on him…Even though he only totaled 71 yards, Elijah McGuire touched the ball 21 times and scored on the ground for the second week in a row. And while the Jets offense leaves quite a bit to be desired, McGuire’s volume and pass catching prowess will keep him locked in as a mid tier RB2…With Lamar Miller suffering an ankle injury Week 15 and D’Onta Foreman still inactive, Alfred Blue would likely take over lead RB duties for Houston Week 16. Blue has been fairly active this season while backing up Miller, and he could be in line for a major workload if both Miller and Foreman are inactive Week 16 in Philly. However, if Foreman is activated, he becomes a must add in all formats as well…Josh Allen put forth year another great fantasy performance Sunday against Detroit, throwing for one score and adding another one on the ground. The Bills offense is sneakily becoming much more reliable and consistent due to the recent stellar play by Allen, and Allen could enjoy his best game yet on Sunday against a suddenly reeling Patriot team.

Stream

Indianapolis Colts DST (25% Yahoo ownership)

Blake Jarwin, TE, Dallas Cowboys (2% Yahoo ownership)

Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Rams (19% Yahoo ownership)

Vernon Davis, TE, Washington Redskins (9% Yahoo ownership)

Matt LaCosse, TE, Denver Broncos (7% Yahoo ownership)

C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (34% Yahoo ownership)

Chris Herndon, TE, New York Jets (12% Yahoo ownership)

Green Bay Packers DST (40% Yahoo ownership)

After impressively shutting out the streaking Cowboys at home, the Indianapolis Colts DST will welcome a New York Giant team into town that will potentially be playing without Odell Beckham Jr. again…With back to back games of 7 targets, Blake Jarwin faces a Tampa Bay defense that has allowed opposing tight end fantasy points in bunches this season…After disappearing for 2 weeks, Matt LaCosse caught 4 balls for 43 yards last week against Cleveland, and faces an Oakland Raider defense Week 16 that allows the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

Others, for those of you in leagues with your grandparents and pets (50-60% Yahoo ownership)

Shocking, but Matt Breida suffered an ankle injury last week. With his status in doubt Week 16, Jeff Wilson Jr. would be a useful RB2 for a surging 49er offense…With Keenan Allen (hip) potentially missing Saturday’s contest against Baltimore, Mike Williams would be primed to take on a larger role in the LA offense after scoring 3 touchdowns last week in Kansas City…Baker Mayfield has struggled recently but gets a much easier assignment Week 16 against a porous Bengals secondary.

Week 16 Waiver Wire Rankings

Jamaal Williams, RB, Green Bay Packers

Elijah McGuire, RB, New York Jets

Alfred Blue, RB, Houston Texans

Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Denver Broncos

Jordy Nelson, WR, Oakland Raiders

John Ross, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Ian Thomas, TE, Carolina Panthers

Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets

Robert Foster, WR, Buffalo Bills

Kalen Ballage, RB, Miami Dolphins

DeDe Westbrook, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans DST

Cleveland Browns DST

Indianapolis Colts DST

Blake Jarwin, TE, Dallas Cowboys

Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Rams

Vernon Davis, TE, Washington Redskins

Matt LaCosse, TE, Denver Broncos

Good luck finding these diamonds in the rough. Remember, some stashes can immediately become starts, so always stay updated with RSJ, as we will always provide the latest and greatest info.

To contact me with any questions or general fantasy football discussion, please email me at redsocker45@gmail.com or tweet me ‪@AJGamballer‪.

Bottom Line: Pass-catching specialist, who? Christian McCaffrey returned to his college workhorse roots under new OC Norv Turner, and quickly put up Fantasy MVP-worthy numbers. He continued to flash his otherworldly receiving abilities, hauling in an NFL record 106 catches for 875 yards and 6 TDs. Yet where the usage really rose was the carries, as McCaffrey nearly doubled his 2017 total for 215 carries, 1080 yards, and 7 scores. These 321 total touches ranked third behind only Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley, and this newfound volume created the ultimate ceiling / floor combination. In the process, McCaffrey flashed both the elusiveness, breakaway ability, and most shockingly underrated power to redefine the workhorse model.

​New OC Norv Turner deserves immense credit for this outburst. His previous work with LaDanian Tomlinson proved he wasn't afraid to ride a smaller-back, as he's able to scheme his guys in space and in creative outside gaps versus just blasting them up the gut... but even still, never before had an NFL back played nearly 97% of the team's snaps. Yes, this number inevitably will fall in 2019, but McCaffrey should still hover around 85-90%, especially with Turner returning. Expect a similar buffet of weekly volume with the upside for even more efficiency should the Panthers beef up their line while their explosive young wideouts take a next step forward.

Ceiling Projection: 320 touches (100 rec.), 2,000 Tot. Yds, 13 TDs

Floor Projection*: 270 touches (70 rec.), 1600 Tot. Yds, 7 TDs

Actual Projection: 310 touches (90 rec), 1900 Tot. Yds, 12 TDs

*Note - Floors are done without injuries in mind. Of course the lowest floor is torn ACL first play of scrimmage. This assumes 16 games

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